In Becoming a Family
by spencershotchner
Summary: When Aaron first started bringing Spencer home, Jack knew immediately that Spencer was special.


I.

When Aaron first started bringing Spencer home, Jack knew immediately that Spencer was special. His daddy never brought people home, not even his team mates. Spencer stayed the night like Jack did at his friend's houses and at his Aunt Jessica's. He wondered what they did during their sleepovers. At his sleepovers, Jack and his friends would play pirates or superheroes, but he never saw his daddy and Spencer running around with bed sheets draped around their shoulders like capes.

II.

Jack is eating cocoa puffs at the kitchen table one morning as Spencer and his daddy fix their cups of coffee. When he looks up, he sees them kissing. He watches for a moment until Spencer realizes they have a captive audience, and he pushes away from Aaron, blushing the color of a tomato. He takes another bite of cocoa puffs.

"Aaron, not in front of Jack," Spencer says quietly. He pours a lot of sugar into his coffee, and Jack wonders if his mom gets angry at him for using so much like his mom used to when he poured a lot in his Rice Krispies.

"It's not like we're fornicating on the kitchen table, Spencer," Aaron replies, chuckling.

"What does _fork-ni-kate _mean, Daddy?" Jack asks, and Spencer spills his coffee.

III.

Jack likes it when Spencer reads him bedtime stories. All he has to do is request a story and Spencer can read it from inside of his head. They're in the middle of the third chapter of _Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone _when Jack asks a question.

"Do you like kissing my daddy?" he asks, and Spencer makes a strange squeak noise that sounds a lot like his friend Jake's dog toy.

Spencer stumbles over his words for a moment. "Uh... yes?"

"Good," Jack says and smiles. "My daddy likes kissing you, too."

Spencer laughs nervously and starts telling the story again. Jack falls asleep within ten minutes.

IV.

Spencer has lived with them for almost a year. Jack started calling him 'papa' four months ago. The first time he said the word, Spencer had started crying.

V.

Jack, Aaron, and Spencer are eating dinner one night when Jack asks his dad and papa a very serious question.

"Are you two going to get married?" Spencer drops his fork and several peas roll across the table.

His dad is the first one to snap himself out of his surprise. He looks at Spencer, who is trying to collect his renegade peas, and then back to his son. "I don't know, buddy. Why do you ask?"

"My friend Sarah has two mommies, and now that they live together, they're getting married." Jack pauses to take a sip of his milk. "Are you two going to get married?" he asks again.

Aaron smiles at Spencer. "We'll see."

VI.

Jack is thirteen now, and his papa and dad have been together for seven years.

"When are you two finally going to get married?" he asks in the midst of doing his algebra homework.

His dad sighs and sets down the spoon he's using to stir the soup. "Jack, it's complicated—"

"It's really not," Jack says, cutting his father off. Aaron glares at the back of his son's blond head, but Jack pays him no mind. "You two love each other."

"Our bosses at work might not like the idea," Aaron tells him. Jack rolls his eyes and turns to face his father.

"It's not like everyone doesn't already know you guys live together." Aaron stares at his son in disbelief. He sounds so much like Haley that it's unbelievable. "Gay marriage is legal in D.C., Dad, and don't tell me you don't know that."

Aaron sighs and stirs the soup again. "Maybe some day, Jack."

VII.

It's Christmas morning and Jack and his dad are downstairs in front of the tree, waiting for Spencer to finish making his coffee so that they can open their presents. Jack has noticed that his father seems nervous—he's fidgeting while he sits on the floor and he keeps tapping his fingers on the top of one of his robe pockets.

Eventually, after Spencer shuffles into the living room with his coffee, present opening commences. Once every box hads been opened and the contents have been stacked into piles, Spencer gets up to begin gathering the scraps of paper. Aaron puts his hand out and grabs hold of the sleeve of Spencer's robe. Jack puts down his new iPod and watches with curiosity. His dad looks like he has something important to tell Papa.

"Spencer, wait," Aaron says. "You still have one more present." Spencer looks around in confusion, noting that the only presents under the tree are for the members of their team, Jessica and her family, and Henry.

"Where?" Papa asks and his forehead wrinkles slightly.

Aaron shakily withdraws a black velvet box from the pocket of his robe. Jack's eyes widen and he has to physically restrain himself from screaming in happiness. Spencer stares at the box in Aaron's hand for a moment before looking over at Jack, and then up to Aaron's face. From where he's sitting, Jack can see that there's a solitary white-gold ring nestled in the cushion when his dad opens the box.

"I'm starting to think that Jack is right," his dad says. Tears are beginning to shine in Spencer's eyes. "I want to marry you, Spencer Reid. Will you be my husband?"

Spencer nods and the tears spill over. "Yes," he whispers. A smile lights up his father's face, one of the very rare ones that can blind you, and he slips the ring onto Spencer's left hand. The inside of the band is engraved, and it reads '_toujours vôtre_.'

Jack is smiling so hard his face hurts. He will finally have a whole family again.

* * *

For the person who asked, _toujours vôtre _means Forever Yours in French.


End file.
